1. ISRAELI PRESS REPORTS MARCH 8 THAT NAHAL YAM, PARA-
MILITARY OUTPOST ON NORTHERN SINAI COAST ( ROUGHLY HALF WAY BETWEEN
CANAL AND EL ARISH), WILL BE DISBANDED AND - CONTRARY TO WESTERN
WIRE SERVICE REPORTS - REPLACED BY CIVILIAN FISHING VILLAGE.
ESTABLISHED IN 1968 AS ONE OF FIRST SETTLEMENTS
IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES AND, ACCORDING TO PRESS, THE FIRST ONE IN
SINAI, THIS NAHAL EVIDENTLY IS OF SYMBOLIC IMPORTANCE TO ISRAELI
HARDLINERS ON TERRITORIAL ISSUE. PRESS SAYS GALILI AND RIGHTIST
SAMUEL TAMIR WERE UPSET MARCH 7 BY INITIAL REPORT WHICH
SUGGESTED ISRAELIS PULLING OUT OF NAHAL YAM LOCATION ALTOGETHER.
2. PRESS SAYS SPOKESMAN FOR JEWISH AGENCY' S DEPARTMENT OF
SETTLEMENT HAS NOW STRESSED THAT THERE IS NO INTENTION OF
ABANDONING SITE. DECISION TO CONVERT IT TO CIVILIAN ENTERPRISE
WAS MADE PURELY FOR ECONOMIC REASONS: NAHAL YAM FAILED
TO DEVELOP PROFITABLE FISHING INDUSTRY, WHICH DEMANDS HIGH
DEGREE OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ROUND- THE- CLOCK
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 TEL AV 01832 091120 Z
OPERATION. SOLDIERS WORKED ONLY EIGHT- HOUR DAY, AND
AVERAGE CATCH PER YEAR WAS 30 TONS, WHICH SPOKESMAN
SAID WAS ONE AND ONE- HALF PERCENT OF POTENTIAL. GROUP
OF YOUNG VETERANS WHO SERVED AT NAHAL YAM IN PAST AND WHO
ARE INTERESTED IN FISHING WILL REPLACE SOLDIERS. FIRST GROUP
HAS ALREADY BEGUN TO ARRIVE, AND ALL OF CIVILIAN SETTLERS ARE
TO BE AT FORMER NAHAL BY MAY 19 73. HE ADDED THAT SETTLE-
MENT DEPARTMENT HAS RECENTLY SUPPLIED NAHAL WITH ADDITIONAL
FISHING VESSEL AND WILL PROVIDE YET ANOTHER WITHIN A YEAR.
ZURHELLEN
UNCLASSIFIED
*** Current Handling Restrictions *** n/a
*** Current Classification *** UNCLASSIFIED

Raw content

UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 01 TEL AV 01832 091120 Z
14
ACTION NEA-12
INFO OCT-01 ADP-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 INR-09 NSAE-00 PA-03
RSC-01 USIA-12 PRS-01 T-03 OMB-01 IO-13 COA-02 PM-09
NSC-10 SS-14 AID-20 RSR-01 /112 W
--------------------- 008512
R 090940 Z MAR 73
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7565
INFO AMEMBASSY AMMAN
AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
USINT CAIRO
AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
USMISSION USUN
UNCLAS TEL AVIV 1832
E. O. 11652: N/ A
TAGS: PFOR, MILI, EG
SUBJECT: CHANGE IN STATUS OF ISRAELI SETTLEMENT ON SINAI COAST
1. ISRAELI PRESS REPORTS MARCH 8 THAT NAHAL YAM, PARA-
MILITARY OUTPOST ON NORTHERN SINAI COAST ( ROUGHLY HALF WAY BETWEEN
CANAL AND EL ARISH), WILL BE DISBANDED AND - CONTRARY TO WESTERN
WIRE SERVICE REPORTS - REPLACED BY CIVILIAN FISHING VILLAGE.
ESTABLISHED IN 1968 AS ONE OF FIRST SETTLEMENTS
IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES AND, ACCORDING TO PRESS, THE FIRST ONE IN
SINAI, THIS NAHAL EVIDENTLY IS OF SYMBOLIC IMPORTANCE TO ISRAELI
HARDLINERS ON TERRITORIAL ISSUE. PRESS SAYS GALILI AND RIGHTIST
SAMUEL TAMIR WERE UPSET MARCH 7 BY INITIAL REPORT WHICH
SUGGESTED ISRAELIS PULLING OUT OF NAHAL YAM LOCATION ALTOGETHER.
2. PRESS SAYS SPOKESMAN FOR JEWISH AGENCY' S DEPARTMENT OF
SETTLEMENT HAS NOW STRESSED THAT THERE IS NO INTENTION OF
ABANDONING SITE. DECISION TO CONVERT IT TO CIVILIAN ENTERPRISE
WAS MADE PURELY FOR ECONOMIC REASONS: NAHAL YAM FAILED
TO DEVELOP PROFITABLE FISHING INDUSTRY, WHICH DEMANDS HIGH
DEGREE OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ROUND- THE- CLOCK
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 TEL AV 01832 091120 Z
OPERATION. SOLDIERS WORKED ONLY EIGHT- HOUR DAY, AND
AVERAGE CATCH PER YEAR WAS 30 TONS, WHICH SPOKESMAN
SAID WAS ONE AND ONE- HALF PERCENT OF POTENTIAL. GROUP
OF YOUNG VETERANS WHO SERVED AT NAHAL YAM IN PAST AND WHO
ARE INTERESTED IN FISHING WILL REPLACE SOLDIERS. FIRST GROUP
HAS ALREADY BEGUN TO ARRIVE, AND ALL OF CIVILIAN SETTLERS ARE
TO BE AT FORMER NAHAL BY MAY 19 73. HE ADDED THAT SETTLE-
MENT DEPARTMENT HAS RECENTLY SUPPLIED NAHAL WITH ADDITIONAL
FISHING VESSEL AND WILL PROVIDE YET ANOTHER WITHIN A YEAR.
ZURHELLEN
UNCLASSIFIED
*** Current Handling Restrictions *** n/a
*** Current Classification *** UNCLASSIFIED